NCJ Number
157605
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 1-5
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the FBI Challenge Program at the Police Fire Academy of Santa Teresa High School, which is designed to refocus the lives of teenagers at risk of involvement in youth gang activities and drug abuse.
Abstract
The Santa Teresa High School Police and Fire Academy was established in 1988 as a "magnet" program to draw students from all areas of San Jose who expressed an interest in a law enforcement career. The FBI Challenge Program began in February 1994 as a supplement to the academy program already in place. Staff members from the academy and the FBI developed an instructional program designed to motivate, encourage, and challenge the students to excel, not only academically, but also in their personal lives. FBI volunteers conduct presentations to help the students better understand the FBI's law enforcement role. They serve as positive role models in discouraging student involvement in youth gangs and illicit drugs. Twice monthly training sessions, which last 50 minutes each, cover a variety of topics, including the history of the FBI and its jurisdiction, the importance of completing high school and staying out of trouble, positive alternatives to gangs and drug use, the uses and importance of fingerprints for law enforcement, the training required for agents, taking fingerprints, The FBI's role in child abduction cases, and cultural diversity in law enforcement.